


Love is All I Need

by SanityisOverrated



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Can you find the little thing I mentioned just for your benefit?, Comfort/Angst, Fluff, From under 1k to almost 3?, FrostIron - Freeform, M/M, Serious, This ran away from me, uh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-17
Updated: 2013-09-17
Packaged: 2017-12-26 20:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/970134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SanityisOverrated/pseuds/SanityisOverrated
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Tony and Loki make a mess out of how to confess that they might be(are) in love with each other. Tony totally doesn't freak out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love is All I Need

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Low_Key_Loki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Low_Key_Loki/gifts).



> Happy Birthday to my dear friend at [Low_Key_Loki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Low_Key_Loki)!! Love you 3k words much! <3 <3 Hahaha, enjoy!  
> Please excuse any errors, there's a line between doing your own editing and becoming your own worst critic and deleting chunks of text and I was about to cross that line, so I stopped. Comments and kudos are appreciated!

 

Tony was not the type to panic over thinking he may be in love with someone. Not at all. And he did not screech like a girl when Clint popped out of the ceiling of his lab to ask what he wanted for lunch. The archer fell out of his perch laughing and Tony scowled.

“Why the hell are you in my ceiling?” Tony snapped.

Clint looked at him innocently. “Tasha asked me to tell you lunch was being made and that you had a choice of roast beef, turkey or ham sandwich. Cap insisted on making everyone sandwiches since it’s his meal day.”

Tony groaned. Of course Clint would heed the redheads every word, and of course Cap would make everyone lunch, out of the goodness of his heart.

“I’ll be up in a few, tell them to not get their panties in a twist.”  
Clint raised an eyebrow at that. It told Tony just how dubious he was that Tony would actually make it upstairs in the next thirty minutes. Tony mimed aiming a gun and shooting and Clint staggered back as if shot. He proceeded to jump on a workbench of Tony’s, climbing back into the ceiling from there. Tony just stared in silence and then shook his head as he turned around to work his frustrations out on the sorry piece of metal in front of him.

Later that night he ventured into the kitchen, being as quiet as possible. He reached the kitchen with no disruptions and turned on the light with a sigh of relief. He turned around and jumped with a hand to his chest.

“Christ, why not just kill me? I’m pretty sure it’s a less painful way to go than a heart attack in my own kitchen!” Tony whisper shouted at Natasha, who was sitting in the shadows watching him coolly.

“You’re the one who’s been having an existential crisis in his lab for the past 24 hours.” She replied with a smirk.

“I have not! I’ve just been... working out some frustration. It manages to build up, working around you guys. Especially Clint. Do I want to know what he does in my ceiling?”

“Probably not.” Tasha said with a snicker. Tony sighed and opened the fridge. He wasn’t surprised to find extra sandwiches inside. It was a miracle they weren’t labeled ‘Tony’ or some other message from Steve. Natasha got up and put her cup in the sink, stretching with a yawn.

“Go get some sleep Tony. I’m not against kicking your ass if I have to save your sleep deprived butt from whatever we get called out for next.”

Tony sighed, but nodded glumly. He ate his sandwich, turned off the lights and trudged tiredly to his bedroom, taking off his grimy shirt and pushing down his jeans with a sigh. He let himself flop face first into the bed with a groan, and was asleep within seconds.

It was a couple hours later that the bed shifted under a new weight, cool air and limbs entwining around Tony’s. He woke up enough to mumble “I hate you.” before promptly passing out again. There was a chuckle, and then a sigh as the newcomer settled in, pressing himself against Tony’s heat with a unintelligible whisper.

 

Morning came, and with it, the Avengers alarm. Tony jerked himself out of bed with a curse, before looking back with a start. Loki was still there, glaring at him from where he was curled around the space Tony had been.

“Where were you last night?” Tony asked as he tugged on his jeans from last night.

“I was... working on something.” Loki said guardedly, despite still looking half asleep. Tony narrowed his eyes and took a moment to level a look at him that meant they’d talk later. The thought crossed his mind that to an outsider, they were having that kind of conversation that married couples had, where entire conversations took place in silence.

He snapped on his bracelets and walked out to the balcony. “JARVIS, everything ready?”

“Yes, sir, everything is awaiting your command.”

“Fine, launch the suit.”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” JARVIS asked in as smooth a tone as ever.

“JARVIS, just do it.” Tony snapped. Loki walked to the door and opened it, looking at him curiously.

“Tony, what are you doing?”

Tony dared a look back and gulped at the sight of that pale skin covered only with a maroon sheet, rippling against Loki’s skin.

“Sorry to run like this, we’ll have to talk later. Don’t cause mischief while I’m gone honey!”

And with that, he jumped off the balcony. He heard Loki give a shout, but his suit was rippling around him as he plummeted down. Nothing like jumping off the tower to get his blood rushing in the morning. Or take his mind off of how he might be, but totally wasn’t, in love with a Norse god.

 

Hours later, the team trudged back in, dirty, bloody, with only one broken bone between them. Luckily the threat had only been some psychopath who thought just because he had telekinetic powers he could rule the world. Clint had been caught slightly unawares when an arrow backfired, what with the guy using powers and all. Coulson was waiting with a first aid kit that he handed off to Natasha when they walked in.

“Agent, I’ll escort you to the medical bay to get that arm checked out.” He said in a clipped tone to Clint. Clint winced and let himself be dragged away, even though Coulson hadn’t touched him. Yet.

Tony snickered as they walked away. “He’s so whipped.”

Natasha slapped him over the back of the head, throwing a “You have no room to speak, Stark.” over her shoulder as she walked away with Steve and Bruce to take care of the small scrapes they had gotten while fighting. Tony glared after her, fighting the urge to run after her and demand an answer. The team might not talk much about knowing exactly what he and Loki had been up to ever since Loki was reformed, but they all knew.

Tony took the elevator to his floor and dragged himself into the bedroom with a sigh. To his surprise, Loki was lounging on his bed, in tight pants and a loose halfway unbuttoned shirt. Tony spent one second too long staring and the god smirked without looking up from the book he was reading. Tony scoffed and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

He made it quick and walked out with a towel around his waist, using another to dry his hair.

“Didn’t think you’d still be here.” He commented offhandedly as he shed the towel around his waist to drag on a pair of boxers.

He stumbled as Loki suddenly appeared behind him, hand brushing the edge of the boxers where they were snug around his waist.

“Clothing is such a waste,” he murmured in Tony’s ear, dragging his tongue down Tony’s neck. Tony jerked in surprise as Loki suddenly bit.

“What the-!” Loki licked at his neck in apology, but Tony could feel the smirk. He turned around with a growl, pushing Loki back until he hit the bed and sat down, staring up at Tony through lidded eyes, letting his mouth open the slightest bit.

“You’re an asshole.” Tony snapped.

“Why don’t you teach me a lesson then?” Loki suggested, a light in his eyes that Tony knew. It meant that there was no way to escape having some kind of athletic sex that would leave him sore in the oddest places.

Tony shook his head, suddenly feeling weary to his bones. “Not today.” He looked at Loki, really looked at him, and saw something in his eyes that made him ache. For what, he wasn’t quite certain yet.

He felt himself dragged down, Loki planting a reasonably chaste kiss on his lips before he lay back and tugged Tony down to join him. “You should rest,” the god said quietly. “You look as if you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. What is it?”

 

_I’m in love with you,_ Tony wanted to say. Instead, what came out was “Why do you care?” in a childish, sulky tone. Loki tensed at his back, rolling away.

“I was under the assumption that our current relationship meant a mutual caring and respect, but I suppose I could be wrong.” The room was cooler a couple degrees. If you weren’t watching for it, you wouldn’t notice, but Tony, Tony had grown accustomed to monitoring temperatures ever since he started having sex, and then entered into a semi respectable relationship with the god of mischief.

“Loki, wait, I just-”

“Do not bother to explain, Stark, I am perfectly aware of how bothered you are by my presence. I will come back at a more... appropriate time and give you the space you so desire.” Tony was helpless as he watched Loki disappear. He knew that the god only teleported when he needed to, because of the fact that it was no inconsiderable drain on his energy.

Tony threw himself back on the bed, growling and itching to place his hands around Loki’s neck. If only Loki could read his mind. They both had issues communicating, which was more than obvious.

“You’re a fucking idiot, Tony.” He mumbled to himself.

 

He spent the next two days holed up in his lab, destroying things and putting them back together. Clint didn’t make any sudden appearances and Tony supposed he had Coulson and his broken arm to thank for that. He wasn’t above Natasha somehow overriding his protocols and just walking in. After having that thought he spent another day improving all of his systems before dragging his ass out for some actual food that wasn’t the protein bars Pepper insisted he kept down there and the endless supply of coffee and energy drinks.

Thor greeted him when he walked into the kitchen. He blinked and considered walking right back out, but Thor, jovial as ever, invited him to break his fast with him. Only familiarity with Thors ways helped him there. He looked at the clock and was surprised to note that it was six thirty in the morning.

“When’d you get back from the castle up in the sky, big guy?” Tony cracked a grin at his own joke, but Thor just stared at him in confusion. Tony shook his head and muttered about movie nights once a week. Thor grinned and pounded him on the back, paying no mind to the fact that Tony had to brace himself on the counter.

“I have just returned, not an hour past, my friend! I left some duties in Loki’s hands, provided he disguise himself so that my people do not think he is causing trouble again.”  
“Loki?” Tony questioned, feeling his heart rate spike.

“Yes, my brother is proving himself to the Allfather for some quest. I do not know why it is of such import to him, but he said that the danger would be worth it.”  
“Danger?” Tony parroted. Thor nodded gravely.

“Indeed. My brother journeys to another realm in search of something. The Allfather would not tell me exactly what Loki seeks, however.”

Tony was quiet, processing this new information. Did that mean that Loki didn’t plan on coming back? That hurt, far more than it should have, and yet made the last week of freaking out all the more true. Tony Stark only freaked out when something pertaining to adult emotions or responsibilities was concerned, and that’s the way it had been.

“Thanks, Thor. You, uh, enjoy your breakfast there, buddy.”

Thor nodded and enthusiastically stuffed another pop tart in his mouth. Tony made a note to tell JARVIS to add more to the list on the next delivery of groceries. Or perhaps to cut down on them. He’d decide later, after having a drink and wondering how the hell he was going to get over this.

 

A week later, Tony stumbled into his bedroom, intending to take a shower to clear away the dirt and blood so he could discover what was his and what was the weird demon hound thing that they had been battling for the last couple hours. He went straight to the bathroom, before stopping in shock and staring at himself in the mirror before slowly backtracking. Loki was standing in the doorway of the balcony, looking him over.

“I trust none of that blood is yours?” He inquired. Tony felt his heart seize in his chest at the sight in front of him.

“I’m... not quite certain, actually.” Tony said dazedly, looking down. He had been smashed into a building at least once. He could feel air through his suit, so he knew there were some major repairs to be done. He grabbed the doorway and turned to go back into the bathroom. He stripped, uncaring that Loki had followed him in, and hissed when he felt cool fingers trace some scrape on his back.

“You took care of the issue?” Loki asked, a dangerous note in his voice. Tony looked at him in the mirror, a shiver making its way down his spine at the look in the gods eyes. _I’m fucked_  he realized with a internal groan.

“Yeah, uh, Hulk took care of it. Comes in handy to have a green rage monster on our side once in a while.” He said with a huff of laughter. The water he splashed on his face came away pink and he felt a couple stings as some cuts reminded him of their presence on his face.

“So, uh, how’d the quest go?” Tony finally ventured after the silence stretched out uncomfortably. Loki’s gaze sharpened.

“Quest?”

“Yeah, Thor said you were going on some quest for the Allfather.” Tony said, opening the shower door so he could step inside. The jets started up and he braced himself against the wall with a grunt as the water hit his wounds, small though they were. A hand touched his shoulder and he slumped with relief as the pain faded.

“I might have to keep you around yet,” he breathed. Loki snorted, withdrawing his arm but leaving the shower door slightly open.

“So, uh, that mean you’ll be gone in Asgard more?” Tony asked, trying for nonchalant and failing miserably.

“No more than usual,” Loki said, puzzled. Tony shut off the shower and growled.

“Are you trying to find a way to break it off gently, is that it? Don’t bother, just tell me and go, I can handle it.” He snarled as he brushed past Loki, grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist. He stomped his way over to his dresser and grabbed a pair of boxers, putting them on and whipping around the face Loki, who was looking at him uncertainly.

Seeing it disarmed Tony. Loki was never uncertain. He sat down on the bed, rubbing his face wearily.

“Loki, if you want to end... whatever it is we have going on, I understand. But doing it without informing me pisses me off.”

“I did not seek to anger you, Stark.”

Tony winced. Loki had retreated behind a mask, and obviously Tony was only making the situation worse if Loki was calling him Stark again.

“Look, sometimes I want to strangle you. Violently, with great relish.” Tony said. He was promptly horrified at the word vomit that had just come out of his mouth. He stared down at his feet and wondered how big of a hole he was digging himself by saying what he was going to say.

“I get so pissed off I wonder why you’re still hanging around, or why I’m still here. Sometimes I just hate anything to do with you. No, wait, hear me out!” He said desperately as the god turned away, lines on his face tightening.

“Then other times I can’t breathe for wanting you. I’m fucked up in a lot of ways, and somehow you keep coming back, and I can’t stop myself from being fucking happy, because somehow, despite our history, I fell in love with you.” Tony stopped, eyes wide. He looked up at Loki, not knowing what he would see.

He was holding an apple. A golden apple, but an apple. Tony blinked, taken aback. It certainly wasn’t the response he was expecting.

“We Aesir aren’t immortal without cause. We eat these apples to keep us young.  Iðunn guards them jealously from those who don’t have need of them. I went on a quest for the Allfather so I could prove to him that my intentions to present one to you were honorable, despite the fact that I would have taken one regardless of whether I got his permission or not. He allowed me one chance, and this is what I have to offer.” Loki said, his gaze holding with Tony’s.

Tony swallowed rather audibly. “You’re offering me... immortality?”

“Yes, among other things.”

“What other things?”  
Loki took a deep breath. “My heart, if you still want it.”

Tony stood up and rounded the bed to stand in front of Loki. “You bastard.” He whispered. Loki stepped back, but Tony caught the front of his shirt and dragged him forward into a kiss.

“Does that apple have an expiration date?” Tony asked suddenly, jerking backwards. Loki just looked bemused and shook his head. “I only have one apple, but it will not deteriorate with time.”

“Good. Maybe I’ll eat it later, maybe not. I’ll decide later, after we’ve had celebration sex.” Tony rambled as Loki bit and sucked at his neck. The god raised his head for another kiss and Tony sighed into it, not sure what to think, to feel after what had just happened. He hissed as Loki bit him again and slapped at him.  
Loki just smirked at him before pushing him back onto the bed and taking off his shirt.

“I can deal with that.” Tony breathed before Loki silenced him with a kiss.

 


End file.
